BluesKing777 Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 I recorded my version of "Romeo and Juliet" by Mark Knopfler, playing my 1993 Lowden LSE1. Only mic on the guitar is the iRig Acoustic Stage setup run to my Boss VE8, vocal is Shure SM58 to Boss VE8 then to mixer/iMac. I got asked to play this tune at a wedding, glad I said no because it has taken me about 30 years to get this one. I had to simplify the guitar part - the original is in Open G tuning and I sang it in C Sharp, which needs a capo at the 6th fret for open tuning, so....: https://soundcloud.com/bk7-3/romeoj2 BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Love your style, man... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Love your style, man... What Murph Said....as Usual great job BK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 Thanks Murph and KC, glad you liked it! BluesKing777. [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwalker201 Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Way nice BK. I think your the only one here that could pull that song off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 Thanks KW! The song is now officially ticked off a long list! Did I say how pleased I am with the gadgets together? I did, a number of times, you say? Let me say it again then, and the Boss VE8 and the iRig Acoustic Stage thingies are the most fun you can have without getting your feet wet...... . And should be able to be plugged direct to an amp or PA, exact same settings as I used above, and come out the front of the PA the same? But I am sure something would get in the way and ruin it. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Strange as I just did this at last weeks gig for first time in years , since I played with someone who could add guitar and then we had some fun with the A and G to finish But I'd been fiddling around and played the little riff which made me dig it out of the old song book and brought it with me Is a long song to get through solo , Youve gotta be real gentle on parts or there'll be no dynamics I play if in standard tuning , but if I had spare guitars it's much better open Would've Liked that regardless BK , but liked it more with the little connection I think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 Thanks BBG! Looked through google trying to get the link for the tune in C in Chordie.com like I used - capo friendly, can't find it. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Thanks BBG! Looked through google trying to get the link for the tune in C in Chordie.com like I used - capo friendly, can't find it. BluesKing777. I just start with a D capo 5 DABmG Em in there from time to time Easy chords but bit of pickin involved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 D - for Don't Do That To Me! Already have a version in F after awful singing in G, then Open G with capo at 3, (Bb, not bad for my voice but not right) and then in C cowboy formation on my guitar tuned down two steps= Ha ha, Bb, then as above track, capo at 3 > ha ha ...C#....... Saw Knopfler play it live on his National Style O about 100 years ago and it was not in any of those keys mentioned! Maybe in the key of Z. (Now I have a black steel National and a couple of wood body Nationals because even though it was a metal Dobro, everyone use to ask if it was just like....blah, blah, blah, sick of hearing that and when a friend turned up to show me his newly purchased National Style O, well we had to say, ha ha, is that just like...you know, and he had no idea what I was talking about......) And while I am raving on, the beautiful 1993 Lowden LSE1 (for Limited Stage Edition with thinner body and 1 11/16" nut....why I play capo 3 for more room!) played in the track above is plain old mahogany with sitka top, but sounds way, way different than similar wooded J45! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 D - for Don't Do That To Me! Already have a version in F after awful singing in G, then Open G with capo at 3, (Bb, not bad for my voice but not right) and then in C cowboy formation on my guitar tuned down two steps= Ha ha, Bb, then as above track, capo at 3 > ha ha ...C#....... Saw Knopfler play it live on his National Style O about 100 years ago and it was not in any of those keys mentioned! Maybe in the key of Z. (Now I have a black steel National and a couple of wood body Nationals because even though it was a metal Dobro, everyone use to ask if it was just like....blah, blah, blah, sick of hearing that and when a friend turned up to show me his newly purchased National Style O, well we had to say, ha ha, is that just like...you know, and he had no idea what I was talking about......) And while I am raving on, the beautiful 1993 Lowden LSE1 (for Limited Stage Edition with thinner body and 1 11/16" nut....why I play capo 3 for more room!) played in the track above is plain old mahogany with sitka top, but sounds way, way different than similar wooded J45! BluesKing777. A lowden and a Gibson are just different regardless of what they're built from aren't they The guy who did my setups builds his own guitars. Says it's all in the laquer Must be something in that idea as it sure ain't wood alone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 I love mahogany back guitars! Now, first up my mechanic said my car needed another cam, this one too worn, so he still has my old murdered by me engine and intended to take tha cam, looking good, out of that and put it in my current. All good. Except there must be about 250 other little parts that go with that cam! So, some of the guitar fund as well as paycheck went to the cam but of course, the very same day, a used Lowden O22 Mahogany with Cedar top hit the shelves and needed a fairly rich, fast acting guitarist to grab it. Rats. I played exactly the same model brand new at a shop, only Lowden for sale in my state and let me say it was pretty perfect for my fingerpicking style! (Only large guitar I know of designed for fingerstyle!). Only better Lowden in Mahogany would be the special dentist models and the famous Old Lady...... But I am driving my car around, so.....and I really have nowhere to put a big old Lowden anyway. Don't get me wrong, I also love my J45 but it wouldn't be first off the rank for the song above. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Was an O22 that I had And yeah strangely enough was running at its best when fingerpicked , or gentle plectrum was also very pretty Strummed it was of course good also , but hit it hard and overtone city , went very muddled But never mind that , a plectrum within 5 foot of the cedar left a mark in it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 And you let the O22 go? Oh dear. I have fallen in love with cedar tops! The one I tried recently had a pretty beefy neck too - the flatpickers would cry murder similar to my Mod V loves - it hurts, it hurts, it hurts they cry and then I own it! Perfect! Another on the wanted to try list is an O35 for sale used locally with 'fingerstyle neck' - they make the 1 3/4" nut neck more fingerstyle friendly by making the neck taper wider as it heads to the 12th fret so the strings don't pop over the edge of the board. The guy says ha ha ha...it hurts his hand ha ha ha. Now this is of interest to fingerpickers! I don't believe Gibson do anything like this, or even care, do they? Martin do with the OM Authentics. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 And you let the O22 go? Oh dear. I have fallen in love with cedar tops! The one I tried recently had a pretty beefy neck too - the flatpickers would cry murder similar to my Mod V loves - it hurts, it hurts, it hurts they cry and then I own it! Perfect! Another on the wanted to try list is an O35 for sale used locally with 'fingerstyle neck' - they make the 1 3/4" nut neck more fingerstyle friendly by making the neck taper wider as it heads to the 12th fret so the strings don't pop over the edge of the board. The guy says ha ha ha...it hurts his hand ha ha ha. Now this is of interest to fingerpickers! I don't believe Gibson do anything like this, or even care, do they? Martin do with the OM Authentics. BluesKing777. The neck was just not suited to me and laugh if you like but I kept hurting my inner thumb knuckle on the lowden Maybe if I'd stick with it for years I would've acclimatised to it But while it was a gorgeous guitar it just didn't fit so well with me Much happier after a few trades with my 000 martin Also lowden are everywhere here and there's a certain type who play them , I don't belong there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Share Posted July 6, 2017 The neck was just not suited to me and laugh if you like but I kept hurting my inner thumb knuckle on the lowden Maybe if I'd stick with it for years I would've acclimatised to it But while it was a gorgeous guitar it just didn't fit so well with me Much happier after a few trades with my 000 martin Also lowden are everywhere here and there's a certain type who play them , I don't belong there Mainly dentists play the very expensive ones, we hear.... and they are almost twice the price here! I didn't get to play the O22 too long in the shop - the sales guy was wiping it down as I played it, scared it might get a mark, but a lot of comments on the internet say the body is a bit big if you have arm/shoulder problems or getting old etc. I liked everything about the one I played but that is very different than owning one for a while - did you have a problem with that, BBG? The Lowden in the recording above is the medium size, different shape but somehow similar to an OM. A lot of people recommend this F size for the problem people mentioned, but I enjoyed the big piano like sound of the O size ringing out - very, very different than a blues based J45! P.S. Love the wood bindings on my Lowdens! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Share Posted July 6, 2017 Ha Ha!!!! BBG, check out the neck near the body on this sucker from SoundPure shop (sold).... 'Lowden 'Fingerpicking Neck' it is called - may even be a touch much for....me! All you flatpickers should be sentenced to playing these only as revenge for selling us poor fingerpickers those skinny neck unplayable things! [flapper] BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 I have back troubles BK , hard to tell what's causing aches and pains 😄 Could be the guitars, or my shoes , who knows But no shoulder issues from the Lowden. It never seemed as 'big' to me as the 000 martin seems 'smaller' if that makes any sense Didn't see a huge change when it rested on my lap after the j45 I'm just over 6'' tall so a large guitar wouldnt bother me It was just the neck that I had any issue with (or my lame technique had an i ssue with) And it wasn't a huge issue , niggly enough to see it go though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Share Posted July 6, 2017 Sorry to hear your back is a problem, BBG. The cutaway I posted above from Soundpure is an O35 Rosewood with cedar top - I wouldn't mind trying one of those, but slim on the ground here...if the body was too big, I could lean my head on it while playing like Pierre Bensusan. A small catch is that I promised myself to 'trade' not buy but looking at my little collection, I can't imagine swapping any at the moment - they all have their place! But one of the main reasons a beautiful guitar like that is sold is like you said - hand hurts! And BK the guitar vampire that loves 'sore hands' used guitars is waiting quietly in the wings..... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 https://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/lowden-o32c/1226229821?utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=sms Here's a big one , not the exact model you're after but the guys willing to swap and says he travels around a bit 😂😂 I've seen your videos from years ago BK and you didn't strike me as dwarfish in any way , I don think the O size would be and issue for you You'd be noticing yourself suffering with a j45 by now if the lowden was going to be an issue Funny I think I suffer with the smaller guitar , especially if I get a little carried away playing in the pub ... need to have a moment and readjust or I become a title hunched and tense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Share Posted July 6, 2017 https://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/lowden-o32c/1226229821?utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=sms Here's a big one , not the exact model you're after but the guys willing to swap and says he travels around a bit ���� I've seen your videos from years ago BK and you didn't strike me as dwarfish in any way , I don think the O size would be and issue for you You'd be noticing yourself suffering with a j45 by now if the lowden was going to be an issue Funny I think I suffer with the smaller guitar , especially if I get a little carried away playing in the pub ... need to have a moment and readjust or I become a title hunched and tense I get hunched up too, have to stop myself, especially singing - somebody said to wear a strap to help, even if sitting. A few years back, I would have jumped on the Wee Lowden size, but I think they might make me look fat ha ha... a friend is a giant and has a little, little guitar and makes it look like a uke. I suppose I would take the O32 you posted above if stuck!!! But I am keen on a cedar top O35 - love the binding and little extras and just want a big guitar designed for fingerpicking instead of my bassy HD28v, which I love for different reasons, but I suppose it is ...G.A.S. there, said it, I WANT! Stamping feet like huffy child..... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 You only live once I've ordered a strap funny enough , was thinking it might help me and my posture We should whisper this because someone's going to suggest I put the guitar on the left knee 'which is of course the proper way to do it' 🙄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 Very nice BK. I remember playing this capo 5 cowboy chords ... C, G, Am, F etc... Question about the cedar tops... heard it said that after a good decade or so of hard play, they are "fatigued". Played out. Sounds silly to me. Oh yeah, and Grunt... I got my sis a nice classical guitar a few years back, cedar top... she plays classical, finger style. Nail marks everywhere on the top. She must be the Pete Townsend of classical.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Share Posted July 6, 2017 Very nice BK. I remember playing this capo 5 cowboy chords ... C, G, Am, F etc... Question about the cedar tops... heard it said that after a good decade or so of hard play, they are "fatigued". Played out. Sounds silly to me. Oh yeah, and Grunt... I got my sis a nice classical guitar a few years back, cedar top... she plays classical, finger style. Nail marks everywhere on the top. She must be the Pete Townsend of classical.... Thanks Sal! I have heard that about cedar tops too, but I think that would be if you belt it with a pick/fingerpicks, wouldn't it? Bare fingers, not much. My Lowden S35, the one with Tommy and Phil's signstures, has a cedar top and is nearly 25 years old with not many marks. Not sure, but I have probably played it more in 5 odd months I have owned it than perhaps it got played in its whole life before! Perfect little fingerpicker with tone, tone, tone and more tone. The Lowden above is Mahogany with Sitka top but it doesn't look like US guitar type Sitka. It has a very, very different sound than the S35, but they both ring out like Lowdens! (If I play country blues on either guitar, and I do, it needs a lot of right hand damping to minimize, yep BBG, too many overtones. But when I want them to ring out, lookout! Classical - my sister gave me her old learner Takamine classical from 1976 and the bridge had come off. So off to my guitar tech it went and it came back great. The cedar top (over mahogany back) has a few marks from errr.....long fingernails, but that's about it. I played it the other week with the iRig Acoustic Stage and it didn't sound half bad, not a Ramirez but. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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